Donovan Mitchell shut down crowd’s anti-Tyrese Haliburton chant in Game 2
Donovan Mitchell wanted the home fans to keep it classy during Tuesday’s playoff game.
Mitchell’s Cleveland Cavaliers faced Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers during Game 2 of their second-round playoff series at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. In the second quarter of the contest, Haliburton stepped up to the free throw line for two shots and was targeted by Cavaliers fans in the arena with a cold chant. They chanted “OVERRATED!” at Haliburton.
Mitchell was not with it though and quickly shut down the chant while Haliburton was still at the line. The Cavaliers star Mitchell could be seen waving his hands in a downward motion to try to quiet the crowd.
Here is the video.
The Rocket Arena crowd was obviously referencing how the two-time All-Star Haliburton was voted as the most overrated player in the league earlier this season in a poll of his fellow NBA players. Many Pacers figures have since expressed sharp disapproval of the poll, and Haliburton himself referenced the poll after Indiana won their first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks. “Overrate THAT,” Haliburton wrote on X.
But in Tuesday’s Game 2, Mitchell either did not want Haliburton to have any fuel or he felt that the Cavaliers were doing a good enough job of performing without having to resort to troll jobs. Mitchell put up a game-high 21 points by halftime as Cleveland (playing without key players Evan Mobley, DeAndre Hunter, and Darius Garland) took a double-digit lead into the break.
Draymond Green criticizes ‘sucka’ Dillon Brooks
Draymond Green was critical of Dillon Brooks after eliminating his team from the playoffs.
Green’s Golden State Warriors beat Brooks’ Houston Rockets 103-89 in Game 7 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Sunday. The Warriors won on the road in Houston to eliminate the Rockets from the playoffs.
A day after his win, Green discussed the series during his “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.” Green was critical of Brooks in an episode that was published on Monday. Green was annoyed that Brooks didn’t shake hands with his opponents after Game 7 and thought it reflected poorly upon the Rockets pest.
“Dillon Brooks ran off the court. So when I say you see what guys is (sic) made of, he ran off the court. Ain’t shake nobody up. You admitted that you was (sic) trying to hurt Steph’s hand,” Green said.
“So if you gonna be on that type of time. Wear shades in the press conference. You gonna be talking, you gonna be mister big bad wolf, don’t lose and then not face the music. Don’t be that guy. … You lose a lot of respect for guys in that moment.”
Green believes that Brooks has lost the respect of his colleagues.
“You a sucka, man,” Green said of Brooks. “When guys lose respect for you in this league, it don’t matter and it’s gonna catch you in the end.”
"Dillon Brooks ran off the court… but that's who Dillon Brooks is, you know what I'm saying? You a sucka."@Money23Green GOES OFF on Brooks for how he acted after the Rockets lost Game 7 to the Warriors pic.twitter.com/YYNAhuR5Oj
— The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis (@DraymondShow) May 6, 2025
Green calling out an opponent for unsportsmanlike conduct is awfully ironic considering his history. But it’s never a bad look for someone to talk as much trash as Brooks did and then not be a stand-up player after losing. Of course, Brooks is almost as notorious for dirty conduct as Green. They’re a good match.
Tyrese Haliburton suffers apparent wrist injury in Game 2
Tyrese Haliburton appeared to hurt his left wrist early in Game 2 of the Indiana Pacers’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Haliburton tried to box out a couple of Cavaliers players early in the first quarter Tuesday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The 25-year-old got tangled up with Cavs center Jarrett Allen and immediately clutched his left wrist.
Tyrese Haliburton is hurt on his left hand, and grabs it (with a replay). He decides to play through the pain. pic.twitter.com/cJROR5tkYT
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) May 6, 2025
The Pacers All-Star held onto his wrist over several possessions as team medical staff tried to assess whether or not to take him out. Haliburton played through the pain and was able to close out the first half. He tallied eight points, three rebounds, and an assist at the break as the Pacers trailed the Cavaliers 61-50.
Haliburton has been excellent in just his second taste of the postseason. He has averaged 18.3 points and a league-best 11.8 assists through his first six games of the 2025 NBA playoffs. Tyrese has so far answered his doubters after his peers voted him the NBA’s most overrated player.
While Haliburton was able to play through the wrist injury, it’s something to monitor during what’s expected to be a hard-fought series.
Photo of Gregg Popovich with Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan gets perfect meme
A great photo of Gregg Popovich with Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan has received a fitting meme.
Popovich spoke with the media on Monday to announce that he is moving into a front office role with the San Antonio Spurs. Mitch Johnson is taking over as the team’s head coach and is no longer working in an interim capacity.
When Popovich made his announcement, he had Ginobili and Duncan by his side. His former players had helped him walk to the podium, and then later helped him exit the room. The photo of them walking together looked just like a meme from the Ninja Turtles that showed the turtles walking alongside their elder leader Shredder.
— Guin (@yoitsguin) May 5, 2025
Shredder was called “master” by the Ninja Turtles. Popovich holds a similar role for the Spurs — he was the master and leader for all those great players. He helped them win five championships and made them a dynasty that spread to two decades. His players clearly love him and have immense respect for him, and they show that with the way they care for him.
Popovich is now sliding into a role as the “jefe” of the Spurs following a 29-season run as the team’s head coach. The 76-year-old is transitioning roles due to health problems that have slowed him down. He suffered a stroke in November and dealt with a medical emergency in mid-April.
Draymond Green takes swipe at Alperen Sengun after playoff series
Draymond Green has another European big man whom he may not be too fond of.
Speaking this week on the latest episode of his self-titled podcast for The Volume, the Golden State Warriors star Green spoke on his team’s recently-concluded first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets (which the lower-seeded Warriors won in seven games). During his remarks, Green got in a shot at Rockets center Alperen Sengun (though he tried to cover it up with some light praise for Sengun).
Green specifically zeroed in on Sengun’s on-court antics during the series. The former Defensive Player of the Year Green believes Sengun did a little too much flopping (but added that he respected Sengun otherwise).
“Got a lot of respect for him,” said Green of Sengun. “You know, I’ve played against a lot of guys. I always tell people that in playoff series one of two things happen: Either you completely lose respect for someone or you gain a lot of respect for someone … You get to see who is really real. So Sengun is real. He ain’t back down at all.
“[But] what I would say to Sengun — flop a little less. Embellish a little less,” Green continued. “Because with a defender like me. Imma feed off that. He real, he physical, he ain’t backing down … A lot of respect for him.”
You can see the full video of Green’s comments here.
As Golden State’s de facto starting center during the Rockets series, Green drew Sengun as his primary defensive matchup. While the Warriors ultimately won in seven, Sengun still managed to put up 20.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game during his first-ever NBA postseason (including a ruthless poster dunk on Green himself along the way).
While the praise from Green for Sengun was nice, he still could not make it through the podcast without getting in a dig. But at least Green’s tone here was a lot more conciliatory than he historically has been with the big man that he will be matched up with during the Warriors’ next playoff series.
Joe Burrow, model Olivia Ponton trying to avoid questions about them dating
Joe Burrow and Olivia Ponton are working hard to avoid any questions about them dating.
Ponton was filmed outside a MetGala event on Monday night and asked by a reporter if she was dating Burrow. The model kept a smile on her face but would not answer the question.
If #OliviaPonton and #JoeBurrow are, in fact, dating, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model isn't kissing and telling 👀 Full story: https://t.co/nvVJKgMcpe (🎥: Backgrid) pic.twitter.com/15qArayTPC
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) May 6, 2025
Burrow was also filmed walking out of a party bus in Miami Beach recently. Ponton was one of several other people who exited the bus, but she came out last. It seemed like an effort to avoid being seen as being together.
Of course, rumors about Ponton and Burrow dating go back to December. Ponton was at Burrow’s home when it was burglarized while the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback was playing in a game. The person who reported the burglary said Ponton worked for Burrow.
Ponton has modeled for SI’s Swimsuit Edition. She has nearly 3 million followers on Instagram.
Warriors owner makes clear statement about Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler has been everything the Golden State Warriors could have hoped for and more since the team acquired him from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. That success means owner Joe Lacob is taking something of a victory lap.
Lacob admitted that there were concerns about Butler’s fit with the Warriors prior to the February trade that sent the veteran to Golden State. After the Warriors’ Game 7 win over Houston on Sunday, Lacob said all those worries were gone now.
“Yeah, there were (concerns about Butler),” Lacob said, via Sam Amick of The Athletic. “But you do your analysis, you make your choices, and, yeah, it was a little bit of a risk. But we’ve got to take risks in this life. And he’s worth every freaking penny. That’s all I can say. He’s fantastic.”
The Warriors gave Butler a lot of pennies after landing him, but they clearly have no complaints so far. The team went 23-8 with him on the roster down the stretch, and held on to see off Houston, buoyed in part by Butler’s attitude. He also contributed 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in Golden State’s Game 7 win.
Butler will face a bigger test starting Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he will not be greeted warmly. The Warriors seem to have no concerns about whether he will rise to the occasion.
NBA insider shares rumor about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade wishlist
The Milwaukee Bucks’ early exit from the NBA Playoffs has sparked speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the organization. That speculation has grown to include a list of potential teams Antetokounmpo might be interested in playing for if he pushed for a trade.
In an appearance on “The Zach Lowe Show,” Howard Beck of The Ringer shared some speculation he had heard about which teams Antetokounmpo might have the most interest in if he were to be dealt. The list is essentially composed of the standard large-market franchises, including the New York Knicks and both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers.
“Does Giannis ask out? If he does, does he have a list? I poked around a little bit a few days ago, and the initial thing I got from one person was just like some rumblings that it’s already just the big cities,” Beck said. “One of the LA teams or one of the New York teams or maybe Miami, not a big market, but a glamour market, mid-size market. I think they threw Chicago in there. I can’t remember if Houston came up. It should.”
Beck pointed out that the Bucks are not under any obligation to honor a specific request if Antetokounmpo did make one. There is also no guarantee that Antetokounmpo will ask for a trade to begin with, and he has previously said he cannot envision asking for a trade.
With the Bucks floundering a bit, some teams will probably try to test the resolve of both Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. At least one surprising team may be thinking along those lines, but the Bucks are not going to be eager to make a move if Antetokounmpo is not going to rock the boat.
Shedeur Sanders’ camp not happy with his Browns jersey number
A notable member of Shedeur Sanders’ entourage is not happy with the Cleveland Browns’ decision on Sanders’ jersey number.
The Browns announced Tuesday that Sanders will wear No. 12, at least initially, after being drafted in the fifth round. Sanders wore No. 2 in college, but that number was instead handed to veteran wide receiver DeAndre Carter, who signed a one-year deal with the Browns in March.
numbers for our vet newcomers and one big change for a returning DB pic.twitter.com/TSYViArz7m
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 6, 2025
That decision did not sit well with Boogie Knight, a member of Sanders’ media team who frequently travels with and films the quarterback. In a since-deleted post on Instagram, Knight said there was “no way” Sanders should not have received No. 2, but that Sanders’ camp “knew it was coming.”
“There’s no way Cleveland Browns should have gave #2 to anyone else. Especially to a WR who haven’t worn #2 before in his career,” Knight wrote. “But we knew that was coming, so we ain’t flinching about it. It was expected. Take it, smile, then MAKE IT LEGENDARY!”
Boogie Knight, a close member of #Browns QB Shedeur Sanders’ media team, voiced frustration on Instagram over the Browns giving jersey No. 2 to another player. This story has since been deleted. pic.twitter.com/eCLHyE2m7P
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) May 6, 2025
It is true that Carter has not worn No. 2 before in his career. On the other hand, he is also a seven-year NFL veteran who has been a regular return man in addition to a depth receiver. That puts him ahead of a quarterback who ultimately was just selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.
Some NFL rookies do put a lot of significance on their jersey number, but Sanders might have had a better chance of getting No. 2 had he gone earlier in the draft. Even though Sanders himself is not the one publicly complaining here, this is the sort of drama that may have prompted some teams to back away from him in the draft.
Sanders may eventually get No. 2 anyway, especially if he proves to be a success. For now, he would probably be best served telling his inner circle to keep quiet and get to work instead of publicly complaining about something like this.
Raiders GM details Tom Brady’s involvement with team
Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek offered some details about how involved Tom Brady is with the franchise.
Brady’s involvement in his role as minority owner of the Raiders was detailed in a new profile of his relationship with Spytek from Dan Pompei of The Athletic. The story states that Brady largely contributes to the Raiders remotely, but is in the loop on every decision the Raiders make.
Brady typically approves of decisions with a simple message: “Cool, babe, trust you.”
Notably, Brady gave his stamp of approval to the Raiders’ decision to select quarterback Cam Miller in the sixth round of the NFL draft.
“He liked the way he threw it, his technique, throwing from the ground up and his motion,” Spytek said of Brady’s reaction. “And he thought he had the potential to improve.”
Brady may not be calling all the shots in the Raider organization, but he does appear to be signing off on them. His role has raised questions as it relates to his FOX job, but the NFL is comfortable with the arrangement.
Brady and Spytek were former teammates at Michigan, and Brady was behind his recent hiring as GM. Even if the former quarterback is not making all the decisions, he is clearly working with someone he trusts as an extension of himself.
Jim Knowles reveals why he left Ohio State for Penn State
Jim Knowles made a surprising move and left Ohio State to become the defensive coordinator at Penn State just days after leading the Buckeyes to the national championship. Now we know why he made the move to the Nittany Lions.
Knowles spoke with ESPN for a lengthy column published on Tuesday regarding his move to Penn State. The defensive coordinator told them he left Ohio State because he was disappointed by the timing of a contract extension offer he received from the Buckeyes.
Knowles says he was hoping to receive an offer from Ohio State prior to the team’s national championship game against Notre Dame, but he did not receive one. So after the team won the national championship, Knowles put himself on the market and called Penn State to see if they were interested in him. Ohio State made a bid to keep him, but Knowles took the higher-paying offer from Penn State.
The Nittany Lions gave Knowles $3.1 million per year, which makes him the highest-paid defensive coordinator in college football. Ohio State’s offer was apparently competitive but for less money.
Knowles says he took a lot of heat after the Buckeyes lost 32-31 to Oregon for the team’s first loss of the season. He says matters were rough after the team lost to rival Michigan for the fourth straight year. The team winning the national championship helped make up for the previous two disappointing defeats, but he noted that the fan reaction following the losses was not easy to deal with.
Much like Ohio State, Penn State reached the College Football Playoff last season. The Nittany Lions finished 13-3 for their third straight double-digit win season.
Josh Jacobs reveals the moment Raiders betrayed his trust
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs relayed a wild story about the beginning of the end of his time with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Jacobs was locked in a holdout with the Raiders ahead of the 2023 season after the team used the franchise tag on him. The two sides ultimately agreed on a one-year, $12 million deal just before the start of the regular season.
In an appearance on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast, Jacobs revealed that as he was preparing to sign his contract, a Raiders employee was waiting outside his vehicle passing information about him along to a reporter.
“Me and Maxx (Crosby) is in the car. Dude comes up to my car, and he’s talking to us. He’s moving his phone around,” Jacobs said. “He’s on the phone with an interviewer, literally on the phone with a reporter while he’s talking to me.
“Any time he had anything to say, and it’d be like, ‘Where are people getting this information from?’ It’s coming from them. It was just a weird situation. It had nothing to do with the Raiders organization. It’s moreso the people that they had in there at the time. … That’s when I knew the relationship was over with.”
This is WILD…
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) May 6, 2025
Apparently Josh Jacobs caught a former Raiders staffer trying to secretly record a call with a reporter right before he was set to sign his 5th-year option pic.twitter.com/MS4sMrC9TQ
Essentially, Jacobs felt that any critique in the media about him may have come from the Raiders themselves. We do not know who the reporter was in this case, but this certainly represented a significant breach of trust for the running back.
Jacobs wound up leaving the Raiders after his one-year deal expired and landed with the Packers. He rushed for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns for Green Bay in 2024.
Alex Cora answers whether Rafael Devers could play first base
The Boston Red Sox need a new first baseman after Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury last week, and many have wondered if Rafael Devers could fill that role for the team. It does not sound like that is going to happen.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked on Tuesday if there have been any discussions about having Devers play first base. He simply shook his head and replied “no.”
You can see the exchange at around the 30-second mark:
Alex Cora provides an update on Triston Casas, who is home now 🙏
— NESN (@NESN) May 6, 2025
"In pain, a lot of pain… it wasn't the worst case scenario… that's what the doctor said."
He also denies the possibility of Devers getting 1B reps ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/XWw5x5UjP8
The Red Sox have used a combination of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro at first since Casas went down, and they are sticking with those two for the time being.
Devers was Boston’s third baseman for several seasons before he became a full-time designated hitter this year. The Red Sox made the change after signing Alex Bregman. Some wondered if Boston would trade Casas and transition Devers to first, but the team never showed an interest in doing that.
While Devers has been openly unhappy about losing his spot in the field, he has zero experience at first base in either the majors or minors. He also is not a very good defensive third baseman, which is another reason the Red Sox prefer to have him as their DH.
If the Red Sox do decide to make a move at first base, it will likely come by way of a trade.
Colin Cowherd makes bold prediction about Knicks
The Boston Celtics blew a huge lead in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night, but Colin Cowherd does not think New York Knicks fans should be all that excited about it.
The Knicks beat the Celtics 108-105 in overtime at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. The Celtics had a 75-55 lead midway through the third quarter, but they went ice cold from three-point range the rest of the way. That allowed New York to get back into the game, and Cowherd does not see a similar situation unfolding again.
During Tuesday’s edition of his “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” show, Cowherd said the Knicks’ win in Game 1 is meaningless. He does not think they will win another game the rest of the series.
“Knick fans, I’ve never seen a Game 1 upset that means less. This is the only game the Knicks are gonna win,” Cowherd said. “Boston’s not gonna miss 45 threes. I know, enjoy the moment, Knick fans. You are feeling it today. Oh, give me a break. Boston got a 20-point lead. They hammered this team all year. They fell asleep, and then they just took bad shots.”
The Celtics went 15-of-60 on three-point attempts. Cowherd noted how that type of fluke performance is the same one that was seen a handful of times from the Golden State Warriors when they were dominating the NBA.
“The Celtics had the third-fewest layups in the league and the fewest free throws. What does it mean? They don’t create shots. They don’t. They just live and die with the three,” Cowherd added. “Like those great Warriors teams, when Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson) weren’t hitting them, they had bad nights. They got blown out multiple times in the Finals.”
"I've never seen a Game 1 upset that means less. This is the only game the Knicks are going to win."@ColinCowherd isn't worried about the Celtics after their overtime loss to New York pic.twitter.com/HzWkDJn1lB
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) May 6, 2025
Cowherd is right that the way the Celtics shot the ball was flukey. They even set an unwanted NBA record with the performance, so you could argue that it is highly unlikely they will have that poor of a shooting night again.
Does that make the Game 1 win completely meaningless for the Knicks? No. They still showed they can win a tough game on the road against the defending NBA champions, which counts for something. Whether it will result in a major series upset remains to be seen.
Pirates suspend stadium employee for whipping fan with belt
The Pittsburgh Pirates have taken action against a PNC Park employee who was seen on video whipping a fan with his belt during a recent game.
In the video that circulated on social media Monday, the park employee is seen confronting a fan, then throwing punches at him. The situation calms down briefly, but the fan spits at the employee, prompting the staff member to remove his belt and began striking the fan with it.
Eyewitnesses claimed the two fans were harassing a female worker, and the other ballpark employee stepped in to defend her, leading to the confrontation.
The Pirates said in a statement that the ballpark employee has been suspended, and the incident is being investigated.
“The employee’s behavior was entirely unacceptable, and he was immediately suspended,” Pirates senior vice president of communications Brian Warecki said in a statement, via Julia Burdelski of TribLive. “This incident is currently under further investigation.”
The Pirates have been plagued by a series of negative headlines since the season started. Recently, a fan fell from the outfield stands at PNC Park during a game in a frightening accident. The team has also faced criticism for disrespecting a franchise legend, and fans are largely fed up with ownership over a lack of spending and competitiveness.
Yankees pull the plug on pitcher Carlos Carrasco
The New York Yankees will have four pitchers in their rotation for the time being after making a change with Carlos Carrasco.
The Yankees announced on Tuesday that they have designated Carrasco for assignment. The team recalled Yerry de los Santos to the Major League team as part of the roster move.
Carrasco, 38, had made eight appearances for the Yankees, including six starts. He had a 5.91 ERA and 1.53 WHIP over 32 innings, including 10 walks and 25 strikeouts.
Carrasco showed he can be effective at times. He had two different starts this season where he went five innings and allowed one or no runs. However, he had allowed six runs over his 6.1 innings.
The Yankees entered play on Tuesday 19-16, which was good enough to have them in first place in the AL East. Recent free agent signings Carlos Rodon and Max Fried have been the stars of the rotation (especially the 6-0 Fried). Will Warren, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman have also made multiple starts for the Yankees this season. Stroman is dealing with a knee injury, while Schmidt was scratched from his most recent start due to soreness in his side.
Carrasco is 112-105 in his career with a 4.18 ERA. He won a league-high 18 games with Cleveland in 2017. He received AL Cy Young Award votes in 2015 and 2017.
Gilbert Arenas shares new details from son Alijah’s car accident
It has been nearly two weeks since Alijah Arenas was involved in a serious car accident in the Los Angeles area, and Gilbert Arenas shared some new updates about his son on Tuesday.
Gilbert said during an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” that Alijah is “doing very well” and on the path to a full recovery. The former NBA star said his 18-year-old son was very fortunate to have avoided serious injuries.
Gilbert also revealed that Alijah was trapped inside the car for more than 10 minutes, which is why the high schooler needed to be placed into a medically induced coma.
“My thing was making sure there was no broken limbs, there was no burns,” Gilbert said. “Lucky for him, trapped inside of a car for so long, it’s lucky there were bystanders that heard the crash that early in the morning that got him out.
“He was a little stronger than (the doctors) thought and he was waking up going crazy, so they put him in an induced coma just to get the air and smoke and all of that out of his system. I guess he was in the car, it looked like, about 10-12 minutes just inhaling that.”
Gilbert Arenas shared an update on his son, 5-star USC commit Alijah Arenas, following a car accident 2 weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/O9LEZV5cGl
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 6, 2025
Alijah was driving in the Los Angeles, Calif., area early on the morning of April 24 when he crashed his Tesla Cybertruck into a fire hydrant and slammed into a tree. He had to be rescued from the vehicle, but the new information Gilbert shared indicates that Alijah was inside the car for quite some time before being pulled out.
The Los Angeles Police Department has reportedly determined that the accident was caused by excessive speed.
Some photos that circulated on social media showed Alijah’s car looking extremely mangled. The front passenger side wheel of the Cybertruck had come off, some airbags were deployed and the side windows had to be broken. There was also a video from an eyewitness that provided some perspective of the frightening scene.
Alijah is a five-star prospect and already viewed as a likely NBA player. The California prep standout had announced in January his intention to play collegiately at USC. He had also landed a high-profile endorsement deal before even starting his college career.
Fortunately, it does not sound like the accident is going to have any long-term impact on Alijah’s health.
Matthew Stafford turned down huge money to stay with Rams
Now that the details of Matthew Stafford’s new contract with the Los Angeles Rams have been revealed, we have a better idea of how much money the quarterback gave up to remain with his current team.
Stafford received a substantial raise on his new contract with the Rams, giving him a $44 million salary this season with another $40 million guaranteed. That is a raise of roughly $30 million relative to his previous contract.
However, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB, Stafford could have made $20 million more over the next two seasons had he forced a move to another team. The Los Angeles Raiders and New York Giants were willing to give him as much as $100 million over the next two seasons, but Stafford took significantly less to remain with the Rams.
That figure of $100 million is even higher than was previously reported, and demonstrates just how badly the Raiders and Giants wanted Stafford earlier in the offseason.
Breer compared the deal to those signed by the likes of Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady late in their careers. Those three quarterbacks prioritized the chance to win with their current teams instead of maximizing their earnings elsewhere.
Ultimately, the Rams were a play away from reaching the NFC Championship last season. The Giants and Raiders are much further away from contention. Stafford essentially traded $20 million for having the chance to play for a contender without uprooting his family, and he was still paid quite handsomely to do it.
Bill Belichick used notable word to describe girlfriend Jordon Hudson in his book
Bill Belichick has allowed his girlfriend Jordon Hudson to take on a very active role in both his professional and personal life, and the North Carolina coach used a very appropriate word to describe Hudson in his new book.
Belichick’s new book, “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football,” was published on Tuesday. The book contains a lengthy acknowledgments section, and Hudson is high up on the list.
As Leah Bitsky of Page Six pointed out, Hudson is the third person Belichick thanks in the acknowledgments section behind only longtime business partner and friend Berj Najarian and Belichick’s publishing team. The 73-year-old coach referred to his 24-year-old girlfriend as his “creative muse.”
“Thank you to my idea mill and creative muse, Jordon Hudson,” Belichick wrote.
Belichick’s late parents, his children and some other close members of his inner circle were mentioned in the dedications page at the beginning of the book.
Of course, many people have come to the conclusion that Belichick allows Hudson to be too much of a “muse.” That became especially evident during the former New England Patriots coach’s recent CBS interview, when Hudson sat nearby like a public relations manager and even jumped in to shut down a question at one point.
Hudson has become such a public staple in Belichick’s everyday life that the six-time Super Bowl champion coach even issued a statement addressing a claim about her.
One thing is for certain: Belichick values Hudson’s opinion a great deal. The shout-out he gave her in his new book is further evidence of that, not that any was really needed.
Big news emerges about Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty
Big news has been revealed about Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty, and it will come as a disappointment to many.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Preakness confirmed that Sovereignty has chosen not to run in the second leg of the Triple Crown. Trainer Bill Mott decided instead to focus on preparing Sovereignty for the Belmont Stakes.
The decision not to run Sovereignty in the Preakness means there will be no chance of a Triple Crown winner this year.
#KyDerby winner Sovereignty skipping the #Preakness, pointing to the #BelmontStakes pic.twitter.com/6U3PY6ElI9
— Nicole Russo (@DRFRusso) May 6, 2025
This is not unprecedented, as some owners opt to skip the Preakness and challenge for the Belmont instead, even after winning at Churchill Downs. 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike is the most recent horse to skip the Preakness after winning the first leg of the Triple Crown. The owners of 2024 winner Mystik Dan considered doing the same, but the horse did ultimately run the Preakness and finished second.
Justify is the most recent horse to win the Triple Crown, having done so in 2018. That streak will continue for at least another year.
